Individualist anarchism

Individualist anarchism is a philosophical tradition that opposes collectivism and has a particularly strong emphasis on the supremacy and autonomy of the individual. The tradition appears most often in the United States, most notably in regard to its advocacy of private property. Individualist anarchism's roots includes Europeans such as William Godwin, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, and Max Stirner (who is also connected to the existentialist philosophy), though the individualist anarchist tradition draws heavily on American independent thinkers, including Josiah Warren, Benjamin Tucker, Lysander Spooner, Ezra Heywood, Stephen Pearl Andrews, and Henry David Thoreau. Noteworthy anarchist writer and poet John Henry Mackay is also considered an individualist anarchist. Contemporary individualist anarchists title include Robert Anton Wilson, Joe Peacott, Daniel Burton and Keith Preston. Though some individualists have engaged in practical endeavors, individualist anarchism is mostly "philosophical anarchism" as its focus has mainly been on philosophical argumentation to effect change. Individualist anarchism is often seen as a form of liberalism, and hence, has been called "liberal anarchism" http://www.weisbord.org/conquest8.htm.

Individualism and Anarcho-capitalism

Eventually, after the first generation of individualists had passed away, another philosophy arose to claim the influence of individualist anarchism. Unlike the early American individualist anarchists, anarcho-capitalists do not regard value as being matter of labor exerted but adhere to a subjective theory of value and therefore have no opposition to profit. While individual anarchists of the anti-capitalist tradition are still active today, most individualist anarchists refer to themselves as anarcho-capitalists according to Keith Preston http://www.attackthesystem.com/capitalism.html. Contemporary individualists in the anti-capitalism tradition, such as Keith Preston and Joe Peacott, hold that anarcho-capitalism is a non-traditional form of individualist anarchism. Anarcho-capitalist Wendy McElroy considers herself to be an individualist anarchist. Also, Italian anarcho-capitalist author Guglielmo Piombini regards anarcho-capitalism as a type of individualist anarchism.

Related Topics:
Subjective theory of value - Keith Preston - Joe Peacott - Wendy McElroy

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